Magic Dust Status

Today I attended the excellent Professional Speaking Association Spring Convention at The Bloomsbury Ambassador Hotel, in London.

Great keynote speakers, all reiterating the same point that nowadays it's even more important for leaders to step-up to the plate and improve on their skills, and one way they can do that is in the power of public speaking.

Knowing how to inspire and motivate is one vital component towards making sure a leader is 'the difference that makes the difference'.

In the coming week's I'll be writing more about this process, and how I help managers, C.E.O.'s and leaders in industry to develop their speaking skills in order to achieve what I call 'magic dust status'.

If you're a great manager that wants to make the transition to leader, then keep reading in the days and weeks ahead and you'll get some hot tips to help you on your way to succeed.

Should Lenny Henry Apologise?

I was pleased to hear Comic Relief co-founder Richard Curtis has now apologized for the supposed comic spoof of movie ‘The King’s Speech’ at the beginning of last Friday’s TV special. 

In the spoof, comedian Lenny Henry, was ‘inserted’ into the crowd as King George VI stammered whilst making a speech to thousands of people. The scene is pivotal to the movie in demonstrating the impact that the stammer had on the King’s life, and the lives of those around him. Lenny Henry’s ‘gag’ was to screw his face up and shout “blimey your Highness, we’ve only got 7 hours you know.”

My Story
As anyone who’s attended my workshops will know, I tell the story of having had a severe stutter whilst at school. I was also bullied from during those days until my mid 20's, and even though now I speak with relative ease, that experience left an indelible imprint on my life. 

It was unfortunate to have seen this type of cheep humour traded as an introduction to what such a wonderful event as Comic Relief undoubtedly is. 

I have so many memories of the bullies at school rolling in fits of laughter at my obvious discomfort and embarrassment - which sounds a little like Lenny Henry's 'gag' that began Comic Relief last Friday, doesn’t it? 

Spontaneity
Some argue that comedy should be uncensored on television and radio. As a business trainer and ex-professional singer/actor who loves the spontaneity of comedy I understand, but surely one of the 1st rules of comedy is that the other person is laughing, too - and I can’t imagine many stutterers laughed at that joke on Friday.


There's a fine line between being a comedian and a bully. Comedians laugh with their audience, bullies laugh at them. Bullies justify their actions by saying, "it was only a bit of fun, a joke", and those that support them agree by saying, "well, what harm could it do?"

Lenny Henry
Lenny Henry is an excellent comedian. Though surely if he wanted to include such a topical joke, as ‘The King’s Speech’, maybe he should also have considered an equally crass joke about the horrible events still unfolding in Japan. Funny, or outrageous? Beyond the pale, I know, but that's one of the differences between someone who truly believes what they say is respectful and funny (and great comedy is), and someone who doesn't care - plus of course, a bully is never brave enough to really ‘go it alone’ as such a joke about Japan would obviously have been. Bullies select 'easy' targets, targets unable or too embarrassed to fight back. 

It's sad to think so little has changed since my school days, and to think such a stupid insult of a joke could be used as the introduction to a major charity fundraiser. There are so many other 'untouchable' subjects in comedy, whereby moral decency rules the day (as it should).

Apology
Lenny Henry overstepped the line during last Friday’s show. The comedian became the bully. As Richard Curtis has now apologised, I hope Lenny Henry is man enough to do so to, without any quip, excuse, straight down the line, “sorry.”

A Clear Message For Business?

Tomorrow is budget day here in the UK, and already the speculation has started as to what Chancellor George Osborne may or may not do to manage and re-invigorate the economy.

My hope is that he uses clean language in terms of how he and his team have arrived at their conclusions and what they plan to do in order to achieve economic growth after one of the deepest recessions and biggest deficits in recent history.

Whilst some may not agree with the route the Government have chosen, so long as the decision is delivered clearly, and with vision and strength, then the plan has a chance of success. After all, markets and industry react to clear vision - they also react to inconsistency and dithering.

So, Mr Osborne, it's all up to you and your team. 'Clean language' is the order of the day. By you using that, confidence can continue to rise and be rebuilt, and that is one of the most important jobs any government needs to deliver for the markets, and even more importantly, for it's people.

Walking The Path of Least Resistance

Roger Hamilton, creator of the Wealth Dynamics profiling tool, used by many business coaches, emphasizes the importance of walking 'the path of least resistance' on the road to your success.

But knowing which path might be the one for you to tread is often a journey point at which an individual initially stumbles.

As a coach, I ask three very simple and straight forward questions at the beginning of a coaching assignment; 'why here, why me, and why now?'

• Why here - what is it in your life or business that brings you to consider coaching?
• Why Me - what is it about me that says to you 'I am 'the one' you need to work with?
• Why now - how clear are you about the consequences of taking this action, and also of not taking the action - what's making it a 'must'?

As a business coach, I find that the clearer you are with the answer to the three 'why?' questions, the easier will be the next step that will take you towards identifying your path of least resistance.

Ask yourself now; 'why are you here reading this blog post? Why my blog post? And why is now the time you must take action?'

Answer that, and you've taken the first step.

What Kind Of Networker Are You?

One of the quickest ways to build a business is with effective networking. However, not all networkers are the same. Deciding what type of networker you want to be could make all the difference.

The ‘1 minute before' networker is the person who arrives at a business event 1 minute before it begins. They time their journey precisely - quick sign-in, get a badge, and straight in to the meeting.

No time to peruse the attendance list; this is 'headlss chicken mode' - in for the kill. A ‘1 minute before’ networker doesn’t realise some people arrive early, or even pre-arrange meetings with other attendees before hand.

The ‘fully plugged-in’ networker – arrives at an event early, knowing who they want to talk with. They don't confuse networking with 'hard sell'. Instead, they have intelligent, focused, relaxed and genuine conversations. Other networkers gravitate to them. They have an authentic air of believability about them. For them, networking is a enjoyable and profitable way to build their business.

The ‘is it that time already? Got to dash!' networker is the type of person who usually leaves, or disappears, from an event when they think no one is looking. Because they don't really plan why they are there or what they want to attract, networking is a trauma - a necessary evil business owners have to endure, to flee from at the earliest opportunity. For them, networking is never a success, as the only connections made are with fellow sufferers.

The question is which type of networker are you?

UPGRADE NOW!

What would becoming a ‘fully plugged-in' networker do for your business?

The Mental Game of Tennis

Watching Andy Murray crash out of the Australian Open Tennis Championship finals yesterday was painful viewing.

By contrast, his victor, the excellent young Serbian, Novak Djokovic, who won in three straight sets, really did play the bigger game and was an absolute joy to watch.
 
The Mental Game of Tennis
Was it only me, but did anyone else notice Andy come on to the court and play the match with 'defeat' written all over him? Djokovic however, had a spring in his step (even with a plastered knee and shoulder), moving around the court chest out, shoulders back, a smile on his face - even though obviously concentrating on the task in hand. He looked as if he was enjoying playing tennis.

Contrast this to the Murray slouch; shoulders down, face looking bemused into a grimace, breaking only to shout expletives every time he missed a shot - which happened a lot. Whilst he has undoubtedly done much work on technique and strength, what he also obviously needs is to work on his inner game - the mental game of tennis. Whether it's with a mentor, someone who's been there and done it before, or a mental conditioning coach, he needs to figure out a way to enjoy his game, whether winning or losing.

Mental Coaching & Training
Yesterday, we saw two very different mental games at play. Dvokovic wanted to win and believed he could, whereas Murray wanted to win but doubted he could. That slight difference can so often be 'the difference that makes the difference'. Federer also played a negative mental game in his semi-final and lost, as did Nadal before him - and I know Nadel was injured, but 'positive' Nadel may well have carried on, and won that match.

In tennis, as in business (there are so many parallels, which I'll discuss another day), talent, fitness, strength and dedication,  are all important. The thing is, if you have a plentiful supply of them, as Andy Murray does on the tennis court, and yet still somehow play the smaller game when we can all see he's capable of playing the bigger one, that's the real sadness of yesterday's loss.

Grand Slam
On paper, Andy Murray can still win a Grand Slam final in the future. However, if you look at the inner games he tends to play in his head, then winning a tournament actually looks very unlikely.

An in form Federer is simply graceful to watch. Nadal 'in his zone' he is a force of nature. Watching Djokovic yesterday was an inspiration - I felt better for having watched a player so obviously at the top of his game.

...and Murray, let's just say he was a disappointment. He wasn't just beaten, he was wiped off the court, with a whimper and a scowl.

If You See Andy, Tell Him
So, if you know Andy, please give him my number and tell him to call me! Because until he plays a better mental game of tennis, winning a Grand Slam first in his head before he ever steps on to a court - and I know we're all talking Wimbledon here -  doing it for real might just remain a 'shoulda, woulda, coulda' pipe dream.

Sell The Sizzle, Not The Steak!

How many times have you found yourself listening to someone at a networking event going on and on and on about the technicalities of how they do what they do?

They’re making the mistake of talking about the features too early in the conversation, when all we want to hear about are the benefits – what’s in it for us.

It's helpful to think about features as the bare-bones of a service or product, whereas the benefits are the value or the solution the customer will get from buying it.

If you recognise yourself doing this, in essence what you're doing is talking about the steak, when all you should be talking about is the sizzle.
(Read more)

Get Out of Your Cave!

BNI founder and networking expert, Dr Ivan Misner, suggests you should ‘get out of your cave’, meaning you should step out of whatever your comfort zone is once in a while and introduce some new networking dynamics, to keep things fresh.

New Year - which I look on as the whole of January - is a great time to consider venturing out and joining a new interest or business group to increase your networking circle.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• What do you enjoy doing?
• What have you always wanted to learn?
• What new sport or pastime do you want to take up?

Choose something you enjoy, rather than thinking ‘potential business opportunity’, as it’s the relationships you’ll be forging that will help you.

Think ‘diverse’, and step into your ‘stretch zone’. That could mean:

• Taking up a new sport, such as golf, football, basketball
• Joining a running or ramblers club
• Joining a choir
• Taking an evening class
• Attending a book club

The secret of course is to make your new endeavour a group activity.

After all, as the old adage suggests, ‘people buy people before they buy products or services’.

Knowing When To Take A Break

It's been a busy weekend, with two coaching workshops; one in London on Saturday and the other in Birmingham yesterday. Always lively, fun and a chance to meet and work with lot of new people. I love what I do.

Today is a much quieter day. Yes, there is writing to do and emails to reply to, as well as taking some much needed relaxation time. Everyone, including business owners need time out, a chance to recharge, relax and come back a fresh.

People ordanarily use weekends for this. However, for some people running their own business, this valuable time can get squeezed out, weekends eventually becoming a distant memory.

Time Out
As much as business planning and being pro-active is important, so is honoring the time needed to take away from work.

I help clients explore what the balance is for them, and if it needs adjusting. It helps to think of a 24 hour period in three 8 hour chunks:

• One 8 hour chunk will account for an average persons' sleep time.
• Another is dedicated to work or business.
• And the third is 'you time' - relaxing, recharging, having fun, enjoying personal relationships and friendships, hobbies, etc...the chunk that often gets squeezed first.

It's the balance that keeps us fresh, alive and vibrant. Upset the balance and our well being is effected. Once this happens, it's often a one way route to stress.

Vital balance
Since for many, a modern day reality is to work unusual hours, including for some like me, weekends, making sure we retain balance becomes even more important.

Many find a simple three step approach helps:

1. Define a schedule. Know when you should be doing what you should be doing. Defining, using whatever scheduling system that works best for you, will help you become aware of how the balance is for you.
2. Acknowledge your relaxation time. Relaxation is just as productive as work, as is sleep. Sleep and relaxation give you the energy to do your best work.
3. Add 'spice' to your relaxation. What book did you never get around to reading as a child or teenager? Seek it out and read it. Join the club or class you intended to join last year, but were too busy to. Go on a weekend break with your partner or someone special - and remember, a weekend can be any two consecutive days in your diary - if you work Saturday & Sunday, make it Wednesday & Thursday!

On purpose
By enjoying your life 'on purpose' rather than feeling the victim of it, will give you the balance every successful person needs and deserves.

Wishing you a fabulous week!

Great Speakers

If you think back to the most powerful, inspirational, most poignant speakers in history, who comes to mind? JFK, Gandhi, Martin Luther King?

What makes a great speech memorable? Words are important, as is the subject matter, but it's got to be so much more than that.

It's the panache, the attitude of the speaker (and the crowd), the 'eye candy' - not necessarily in the conventional sense, but more that everything about the speech; the setting, energy, and even the moment in history has to be on the button, or 'on brand' as my branding expert Andy Patterson-Jones calls it.

It's now 50 years since President John F Kennedy's inaugural address. Click here to find some top tips and analysis from that speech as discussed by the BBC, as well as an opportunity to hear it again.

On of the measures of a great speech is its longevity. Having listened to JFK's again myself, I can honestly say the impact in his delivery hasn't lost any of its energy and passion, even half a century later.

Truly one of our greatest ever speakers.

Press Release

With last week’s release of ‘The King’s Speech’, starring Colin Firth as the late King George VI, stuttering is being thrust into the public consciousness.

Widely acclaimed by critics, this movie balances first class cinematography with successfully tackling a subject so often overlooked or even still taboo.

Stuttering affects more than 500,000 people, or 5% of the population, in the UK today and an estimated 42 million individuals worldwide. Whilst UK laws are aimed at supporting and protecting individuals with such disabilities, the reality is so often very different.

Motivational speaker, trainer and business communications coach, Mike Blissett, suffered a debilitating and severe stutter until his mid-20s. (read more)

Thanks For Your Feedback

It seems I really hit a chord with my last few posts regarding the poor quality of customer service in many companies today.

You are always welcome to email me direct, and I will always respond with a personal reply - as more than 40 of you did after Saturday's post.

And, from today you can also post a comment directly on to the Blog. This is a great new addition, as it enables us all to share ideas and thoughts for everyone to see.

My website and blog will soon be going through a significant update (due for early March), and I look forward to building a more interactive business minded community of people wanting a better communication and customer service experience from companies large and small in the marketplace today.

Watch this space, and have a fabulous week!

Good Customer Service

It's ironic that I'm now integrating some of the stories from my Christmas travel debacle as funny stories in my training events.

Think cancelled flights, 5 days delay at Heathrow Airport, 6 hours in telephone queuing systems, cancelled hotel bookings, etc.

My tale of holiday woe even got a laugh whilst delivering my 60 second marketing presentation at last Tuesday's BNI meeting.

But here's the thing: whilst bad weather and lack of investment in dealing with it is one thing, what really upset me and I believe the vast majority of other people affected, was the poor public relations, bad customer service, and abysmal communication skills in general.

Whilst I would say that some companies, whilst still affected by the snow, delivered excellent interpersonal service with their customers,the majority did not.

This is where I come in!

I've made it my aim this year to raise awareness that good communication skills and respectful service are important in business. I want companies to banish the 'I can't be bothhered' attitude of some of its staff.

As a business communications coach it is my role to take this message to companies, and to show them techniques so that they can raise their game.

Some call the models I use lessons in common courtesy, good manners, clear and concise communication. I simply call them good business sense. With them, business grows, yet without them clients dwindle, revenue falls, and ultimately businesses fail.

As a traveller, those companies that showed me no courtesy over the Christmas period will no longer get my custom, whereas those that demonstrated good communication skills, empathy, and a 'can do' attitude have now become my go-to providers when next I need their services.

Surely, that's good business?

New Year, New Opportunies

January is more than simply 'New Year, New You' in the first week!

In fact, it's a great month to spend valuable time looking at what you want to achieve over the next 12 months.

Clients I work with tend to break dreams and aspirations for the year down into their vital components - namely the important areas they want to improve upon during 2011, which can include:

• Personal
• Health
• Relationship(s)
• Family
• Business
• Career
• Money
• Leisure
• Personal Development

The above is a general list. If you're doing this exercise for yourself, yours may be similar, or include other topics or areas important to you.

The next step is to get all your ideas down on paper, and as US property tycoon Donald Trump once said, 'if you're going to dream, you may as well dream big'. Think of this New Year exercise as like designing a new menu for a restaurant - get all your ideas down first, and then you'll have lots of ideas from which to chose the best from.

The first step is however, to recognise you have opportunities, hence the above exercise.

Click here for more ideas to help set achievable goals for 2011.